{{short description|French Jesuit}} '''Francis Garasse''' (French: ''François Garasse''; 1585-1631) was a French Jesuit, preacher, polemicist and writer. He was the Jesuitical writer, notable, for his wit and buffoonery, but more distinguished himself by his writings which were bold, licentious, scurrilous, and produced much controversy.<ref name="R1">{{cite book |last= Gorton |first= John |title= A general biographical dictionary |publisher= Whittaker and Co. |url=https://archive.org/details/ageneralbiograp05gortgoog |page= [https://archive.org/details/ageneralbiograp05gortgoog/page/n18/mode/2up 19] |quote= Garasse Francis, French Jesuit. |year= 1883 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012}}</ref><ref name="R2">{{cite book |title= Encyclopaedia Perthensis; or Universal dictionary of the arts, sciences, literature |publisher= John Brown |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0wFQAAAAMAAJ&q=Garasse+Francis%2C+French++jesuit&pg=PA227|year= 1816 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="R5">{{cite book |last= Watt |first= Robert |title= Bibliotheca Britannica, or a general index to British and foreign literature |publisher= Constable |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_V_VEAAAAcAAJ |page= [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_V_VEAAAAcAAJ/page/n620 400] |quote= Garasse Francis, French Jesuit. |year= 1824 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012}}</ref>
This controversial and satiric writer is chiefly remembered as the first author of irreconcilable enmity between Jesuits and Jansenists, in the church of Rome, with his publication entitled ''La Somme Theologique des Verites Capitales de la Religion Chretienne'' (''Theological Summary of the Capital Truths of the Christian Religion'').<ref name="R3">{{cite book |last1= Baldwin |first1= Charles N. |last2=Howland Crapo|first2=Henry |title= A universal biographical dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KncoAAAAYAAJ&q=Garasse+Francis%2C+French++jesuit&pg=PA205 |year= 1825 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012}}</ref>
He is also known for intemperate attacks on other theologians and thinkers, including Lucilio Vanini and Pierre Charron, whom he called ''athée et le patriarche des esprits forts''.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Pierre Charron}}</ref>
==Biography==
He was born at Angoulême in 1585. He entered the Jesuits' college at the age of fifteen in 1600. At the Jesuit Collège Ste. Marthe in Poitiers in 1607-8, he taught Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Poitiers}}</ref> In 1611, he published a book of elegies entitled ''Elegiarum de funesta morte Henrici magni liber singularis,'' on the death of Henry IV of France, and ''Sacra Rhemensia Carolina Heroica nomine Collegii Pictavensis oblata Ludov. XIII. Regi Christianissimo in sua inauguratione,'' a poem in heroic verse addressed to Louis XIII, on his inauguration.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R4">{{cite book |last= Lemprière |first= John |title= Universal biography |publisher= E. Sargeant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EsY8AQAAIAAJ&q=Garasse+Francis%2C+French++jesuit&pg=PT565 |year= 1810 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012}}</ref><ref name="R6">{{cite book |last= Chalmers |first= Alexander |title= The General biographical dictionary|publisher= J. Nichols |url= https://archive.org/details/generalbiograph53chalgoog|page= [https://archive.org/details/generalbiograph53chalgoog/page/n273 263] |quote= Garasse Francis, French Jesuit. |year= 1814 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012}}</ref>
He soon became an eloquent and popular preacher in the chief cities of France, but he aspired to the public admiration by the force and consequence of his writings. In his style, he had a peculiar turn for the wit than in vogue; accordingly, made deep impressions on his audience. Later, under a feigned name, as a defence of the Jesuits against their enemies, he published ''Andrew Schioppii Casparis fratris horoscopus'' (''The Horoscope of Anti-Coton'') in 1614, and in 1615, he published ''Andres Schioppii Casparis fratris Elixir Calvinisticum'' (''The Calvinistic Elixir''). Through these [both] publications, he was scurrilous and violent in his style and were vitiated by buffoonery.<ref name="R2"/><ref name="R6"/>
He published two exaggerated panegyrics; one - ''Oraisou L'Andrese de Nesmond premier President du Parlement de Bourdeaux'', in 1616, when then president died, and two - ''Colossus Henrico Magno in ponte novo positus, Carmen'', in 1617. In 1617, he also published a satire entitled ''Le banquet des Playdoiers de Mr. Servin, par Charles de l'Espinoell,'', a virulent attack on magistrate Servin.<ref name="R6"/>
In 1618, he became the father of his order, and for few years lectured the public in support of faith and against the infidels. And over the years, he published several treaties with similar strain of buffoonery, wit, and virulent attacks.<ref name="R6"/>
Garasse continued his writings with the publication of ''La Doctrine curieuse'' in 1623, which attacked the poet Theophile de Viau, among others.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12138-020-00589-6 |title= An Exiled Poet adapts Plato: Théophile de Viau’s Traité de l’immortalité de l’âme and the Phaedo |last= Roberts |first= H. |date= 2022 |website= Springer |publisher= Int class trad 29, 1–23|access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
In 1625, he published ''La Somme Theologique des Verites Capitales de la Religion Chrestienne'' (''Theological Summary of the Capital Truths of the Christian Religion''), which raised serious dissension and hatred between the Jesuits and Jansenists. The book was attacked in 1626 by abbot of St. Cyran<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Duvergier de Hauranne}}</ref> and the rector of the Sorbonne complained to his society about the evil tendencies of a composition which recommended heretical opinions and prodigious number of falsifications of Scripture and the fathers. Though Garasse was supported initially by Jesuits, he was banished to one of their houses away from Paris. Despite this, the enmity between both the orders continued.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R2"/><ref name="R4"/><ref name="R6"/>
He died at Poictiers, from plague caught while tending the sick, at the age of 46 in 1631.<ref name="R1"/><ref name="R4"/>
==Works==
* ''Elegiarum de funesta morte Henrici magni liber singularis'' in 1611. * ''Sacra Rhemensia Carolina Heroica nomine Collegii Pictavensis oblata Ludov. XIII. Regi Christianissimo in sua inauguratione'' in 1611. * ''De la.Resemblance de la lumiere du Soleil & de la Justice'' in 1612. * ''Les champs Elysiens pour la Reception du Roy Louis XIII. lors qu‘il entroit a Bourdeaux a l’occasion de son Marriage'' in 1612. * ''Andres Schioppii Casparis fratris horoscopus'' in 1614. * ''Andres Schioppii Casparis fratris Elixir Calvinisticum'' in 1615. * ''Oraisou L'Andrese de Nesmond premier President du Parlement de Bourdeaux'' in 1616. * ''Colossus Henrico Magno in ponte novo positus, Carmen'' in 1617. * ''Le banquet des Playdoiers de Mr. Servin, par Charles de PEspinoell'' in 1617. * ''Le Rabelais Reforme Par Les Ministres'' in 1619. <ref name=ABEFG /> * ''La Doctrine curieuse des beaux esprits de ce temps'' in 1628.<ref name=DLFG>{{cite web |url= https://www.prdldev.juniusinstitute.org/author_view.php?a_id=750 |title= François Garasse |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Post Reformation Digital Library |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> * ''La Somme Theologique des verites capitales de la religion Chretienne'' in 1625.<ref name="R5"/><ref name="R6"/><ref>{{cite book |last= Crabb |first= George |title= Universal historical dictionary|publisher= Baldwin and Cradock|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AVdBAAAAcAAJ&q=Garasse+Francis%2C+French++jesuit&pg=PT19|year= 1833 |access-date= Feb 10, 2012}}</ref> * ''Histoire des Jesuits de Paris Pendant Trois Annees'' (1624-1626) <ref name=WSFG>{{cite web |url= https://www.waterstones.com/author/fran-ois-garasse/3460849 |title= François Garasse |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Waterstones |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> * ''Mémoires de Garasse (François); de la compagnie de Jesus'' <ref name=WSFG /> * ''Ludouico 13'' <ref name=GRFG>{{cite web |url= https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1677549.Fran_ois_Garasse |title= François Garasse |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Good Reads |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> * ''L’Abus descouvert en la censure pretendue des textes de l’Escriture saincte'' <ref name=TBFG>{{cite web |url= https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/franois-garasse/3145873/?msockid=16738fc645426b002645998344f96a4e |title= François Garasse |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Thrift Books |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> * ''Les recherches des Recherches'' <ref name=ABEFG>{{cite web |url= https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/author/garasse-francois/ |title= François Garasse |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= ABE Books |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> * ''La Royalle Reception de leurs Majestez'' <ref name=TBFG />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://books.google.com/books?id=EZt31uwP7BQC&dq=Garasse+Francis%2C+French++jesuit&pg=PA400 Watt/bibl Britannica V1 - Ayer Publishing] * [http://words.fromoldbooks.org/Chalmers-Biography/g/garasse-francis.html Garasse, Francis] *[https://scholasticon.msh-lse.fr/Database/Scholastiques_fr.php?ID=1931 François Garasse on Scholasticon] {{in lang|fr}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garasse, Francis}} Category:1585 births Category:1631 deaths Category:17th-century deaths from plague (disease) Category:17th-century French Jesuits Category:17th-century French male writers